A/N: These were all very angsty, weren't they? Haha. I tried to come up with original ideas I'd never read before, so I hope you guys all liked the variety too. I know what you kids are thinking – where's all the love and sexy times? I know, I'm surprised at myself too, but don't worry, I've got a fair bit on the way, so check my future fics. It was a lot of fun brainstorming all of these, but like promised here's the happy ending! Get comfortable – this is a whopping 8000 words long…

A quick note for transparency – Roxas' car is right hand drive.

The Thrill of the Chase.

Roxas could see Xion's fingers trembling as she fumbled to get her pack of cigarettes open. She managed to clasp one and draw it out, only to snap the tobacco off at the filter in her haste to bring it to her lips. "D-Damn it!"

Roxas dragged in a deep breath. He let go of the steering wheel and reached over and grabbed her hand in his, interlacing their fingers together tightly. Her green lighter was trapped between their palms. He squeezed hard, trying to reassure her, even though he was more than certain he was feeling far worse right now. "You've got to stay calm, Xi."

Xion turned to face him, tears already swimming in her eyes. "But, if they catch us – if he recognises you –!" She choked and gripped Roxas' hand harder, her voice strangled with her burgeoning fear.

Roxas just squeezed back just as hard and looked back up into the rear view mirror. Xion didn't have to finish her sentence – they were both thinking the same thing. If the police officer currently dismounting his motorcycle behind them recognised Roxas, then he was going to go to prison for a very long time.

"It'll be okay," Roxas heard himself say distantly, his eyes still trained on the copper slowly making his way towards them. The officer was already making a beeline for the driver's side window of the white Commodore they were currently sitting in and Roxas could feel the man's eyes burning holes into the back of his head. Shit. Of all the times for them to get pulled over, they just happened to have 500 grand's worth of methamphetamines stashed in the boot.

And that wasn't even the half of it. The car itself was stolen, so were the plates. Roxas had an unregistered Beretta shoved down the back of his jeans – Xion had another in her handbag. Add all that to his current rap sheet and Roxas knew he was looking at hard time if the long reach of the law ever caught up with him. He might have been lucky up until now, but seeing the inside was now a very real possibility, all because he hadn't been paying attention to his speed.

Xion was silent now, sitting rigid in her seat, her knees pressed tightly together. Warily, she turned and peered through the rear window of the car, her grip on Roxas' hand almost numbing his fingers.

Roxas could hear the blood rushing in his ears. The police officer had nearly reached his window, the early morning light glinting off of the man's open-faced helmet and sunglasses. Roxas wet his lips, and tried to steel himself – his stomach churning unpleasantly. He looked back at Xion and his mind was made up. It wasn't going to end like this, not when they'd come so far.

This was their last job and then they were going to get out of this life. There was no way in hell they could afford being caught out now.

It took just a split second for Roxas to come to his decision – he was not rolling his window down.

He shook Xion's hand out of his forcibly, making her jump in fright; the green lighter falling and clattering against the middle console. He gripped the gear stick so tight he felt the plastic strain and groan as he jammed it back into drive, his foot slamming down on the accelerator. Taken by surprise, the police officer staggered away from the car as the engine roared and the tyres spun, Roxas gunning the Commodore away from the kerb and shooting back out onto the road.

"What are you doing!?" Xion yelled, bracing herself against the car door and holding on for dear life.

"Cut the shit, Xion! You said it yourself! If they catch us, we're done for!" The Commodore reached a turn at maximum speed, Roxas braking minutely before flinging them around the corner, the screech of the tyres reverberating through the empty streets and silent buildings. It was always advantageous to complete their jobs in the early hours of the morning; when traffic and pedestrians on the streets were limited and it was easier to find alternate routes in the oft chance the police were awake and active. Every pro in the business knew that pigs loved their sleep…except of course, the one they'd unexpectedly run into.

"We could've played it cool!" Xion was not convinced; her face the very picture of panic as Roxas swerved around another corner, barely managing to manoeuvre around some poorly positioned roadwork signs. "Maybe he wouldn't know your face –!"

Roxas barked a laugh, his hands strangling the steering wheel, "Are you being serious right now? They've had a mugshot of me up in every cop shop this side of the country since I was 20!" He cut down a couple more side streets before lurching back out onto a double lane, main road. So far so good…they weren't being followed. He glanced over at Xion, his eyes hard as he merged over into the far lane. He slowed his speed right down, trying to blend in with the sporadic morning traffic now surrounding them. "I am not going to prison, Xion – not when we've come this far."

A sudden flash caught his eye and Roxas' head jerked up and to the side, his stomach twisting. The motorcycle cop was pursuing them, his lights and sirens blaring. He was still a far ways back but it wouldn't take him long to catch up. Fuck, they never chased anymore – high speed chases were considered too dangerous to attempt, so they usually just called in the number plate. This guy obviously hadn't got the memo – he wasn't backing off in the slightest. It was like bloody Robocop himself was after them.

"Fuck, he's following us – fuck!" Roxas stomped the accelerator pedal back down to the floor, shooting the Commodore forward at full throttle and scarfed wildly around another vehicle in front of them.

Xion twisted in her seat, looking back out behind them, one of her hands braced against Roxas' seat. "Oh, my God…Can you lose him?"

Roxas kept his eyes on the road, both hands locked around the steering wheel, his sweaty palms slowly losing grip, "Maybe…but he's gonna call for back up, if he hasn't already." He turned to Xion and met her fearful gaze, his mouth drawn into a hard line. "You gotta take him out."

She gasped, "What!? Roxas, what are you thinking!? We've never killed anyone before!"

"Don't kill him; just get him to back off!" His eyes were wild, begging for her to understand, "Please, Xion! You know how much this will set us back if we fuck this up!"

Xion squeezed her eyes shut, a choked whimper escaping her lips. "I know – I know! Oh, God…"

Roxas gunned the Commodore down an exit ramp, the motorcycle in hot pursuit still manoeuvring around other vehicles to get closer to them. Thinking fast, he took a sharp right and raced into a nearby housing estate where the streets were still empty, the occupants of the houses lined up on either side only just leaving their comfortable beds.

"Aim for his front tyre. If that doesn't get him to stop, it'll at least slow him down."

Xion gave him a shaky nod before reaching down between her legs with tremulous fingers and delving deep into the depths of her handbag. She retrieved the Beretta 92 and settled it firmly within her right hand before winding down her window. Wind immediately whipped their hair around their faces, Xion hastily raising her left hand and shoving her short, black hair out of her eyes. Her safety belt already unclicked, she twisted around and kneeled in her seat, her body now fully turned around to face the road behind them. Just as she was hanging her right arm out of the window, the police officer screamed around the corner, the menacing red and blue lights of his motorcycle still flashing ominously. Xion sucked in a breath and concentrated hard. She steadied the Beretta and took careful aim.

Roxas forced himself to focus on getting them out of there, the dark steel of Xion's gun caught in his peripherals. He told himself not to care. They seldom had to resort to using their firearms and most of the time the weapons were just for show, but getting caught just wasn't an option Roxas could easily entertain. If the law didn't mess them both up, then their boss definitely would. There was one thing he knew for certain right now and that was the job had to be completed – no matter the cost.

Pam!

The sharp sound of the gun firing was whipped away by the wind still howling around them as Roxas took another corner, the Commodore hurtling deeper into the quiet streets of suburbia. A carefully planned operation such as this one running into complications was a real rarity, but in their line of work it wasn't necessarily uncommon. Roxas was loathe to admit it but he'd never been so careless before and it was all because he'd senselessly let his guard down. He was just so relieved in knowing they'd finally saved up enough money between the two of them, it was all he'd focussed on. Finally, this last delivery would be what put them over the line.

Like so many jobs before, all they had to do was move a few kilos of Ice over a couple of borders, making sure to deliver it quickly and discreetly, and they would be on the home stretch. Private investigators didn't come cheap, and Xion and Roxas had promised each other to do whatever it took to find Axel again.

Any means necessary, they had to find him…Roxas had waited long enough.

Pam!

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Xion fired another shot, "He's not slowing down at all!"

Roxas didn't answer, his eyes flicking up into the rear view mirror. He was convinced the police officer pursuing them wasn't human, or was possibly just lacking in the common sense department. He was simply swerving around Xion's hesitant fire and gaining on them relentlessly. If anything, the man seemed to have significantly increased his speed.

"Hurry, Xi – focus," Roxas ground out, his eyes darting forward again, a single bead of sweat now sliding slowly down the side of his face. They were speeding along a good, straight stretch of road now and Roxas hoped Xion would have a better chance at catching the motorcycle's front wheel. She needed to take the shot before they were swerving through narrower, winding streets again and if Robocop had already called for backup, then they were running out of time.

Fiercely grabbing the Beretta with both hands, Xion braced herself against the window frame and lined up her next shot. No more games now, they both knew they had to end it. Roxas' whole body tensed – the pressure building.

Pam! Pam! Pam!

Roxas' eyes flew back up to the rear view mirror just in time to see the motorcycle swerve dangerously from side to side as the police officer tried in vain to avoid Xion's volley of bullets. The last one finally managed to connect, smashing into the front wheel of the bike and critically obstructing one of its axles – instantly sending it veering out of control. Roxas unconsciously lowered his speed as the impending crash seemed to unfold behind them in slow motion. The police officer desperately tried to save himself from going over but it was too late, the motorcycle tumbling and smashing into the road, a violent flurry of metal and plastic exploding in every direction. The man himself was flung high into the air, his limbs flailing like a rag doll before he was unceremoniously slammed down hard into the bitumen. On impact his sunglasses flew off his face and his open-faced helmet was ripped from his head, a brilliant mess of vivid red hair tumbling out.

And then suddenly, Xion was screaming.

"STOP ROXAS – IT'S AXEL! IT'S AXEL!"

Roxas' brain spluttered to a halt. Without thinking he rapidly slammed his foot down on the brake, the car skidding and screeching to a stop. The abrupt change in momentum catapulted Xion out of her seat, ramming her back into the car's dashboard. She cried out in surprise, shunted onto the floor under the glove box. Roxas looked over at her desperately, his eyes bright and wild. "What?"

Not waiting for her answer, he was already swinging the car around, unmindful about being on the wrong side of the road. Roxas knew she wouldn't lie about something like this – could it really be – !

Xion shakily hauled herself back into her seat just in time to see the carnage firsthand as Roxas brought the Commodore level with the twisted remains of the motorcycle. Its rider had been thrown some distance away and was clearly too heavily injured to still be conscious. As if moving in a dream, Roxas had already flung himself out of the car and was making his way over to the broken man sprawled on the road – and there, lying on his back in a bloodied, crumpled mess was Axel – The Flurry of Dancing Flames. He had the same sharp features, framed by his trademark fire-red hair – even his inverted triangle tattoos were in place below his eyes. Roxas could instantly imagine the intense emerald green hidden behind those battered eyelids, which made it all the more surreal that they had finally found him…only to accidentally kill him.

"No…" Roxas whispered, unable to tear his eyes away, even as Xion came up behind him and tried to pull him around to face her.

"Roxas!"

Roxas knew Xion was speaking to him – was grappling at his arms, but he couldn't hear a thing over the oceans roaring and crashing in his ears. He threw her away from him and clenched both fists into his hair. "I've killed him….I've KILLED HIM!"

Xion tried to pull him away again but he fought her off near hysterical, everything else around him fading out until all he could see was Axel, broken on the ground – so impossibly still, with blood on his lips and cheeks. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees at Axel's side, his fingers trembling so badly he nearly ended up hitting him in the face as he clumsily felt underneath his chin for any sign of a pulse. There was one agonising moment where Roxas couldn't feel anything at all but then – yes! There was the beat of Axel's heart fluttering weakly beneath his fingertips.

"X-Xion…" Roxas looked up into Xion's terrified expression, a single tear escaping and streaking down his cheek, "He's still alive…"

Xion clapped both hands to her mouth, her tears falling fast as she choked out a relieved sob, "Oh, thank God – thank God!"

They smiled at each other, savouring a moment so surreal they had only ever known it in their dreams. Roxas was still kneeling with his hand on Axel's neck and Xion stood close beside them. She fluttered her hands over her cheeks, wiping away her tears. They easily forgot where they were, just losing themselves completely in their relief and happiness.

Axel wasn't dead, and they had finally found him.

The far off cry of wailing police sirens suddenly snapped them both out of their shared reverie. Xion instantly looked petrified; Roxas knew he probably looked the same.

Thinking fast, Roxas shot to his feet and staggered over towards Xion. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, just managing to stop himself from shaking her in his desperation. "Take the car and finish the job – I'll stay here with Axel."

"What? But, Roxas – !?" Xion was shaking her head frantically, reaching up to clutch at Roxas' hands.

Now he really did shake her. The sirens were getting closer; they didn't have time for this. "I know, but it's okay! Now that we've found him, we won't have to do this anymore – if we just finish this job, then we can get out. The coppers don't know your face, so you need to go! If I stay here it'll help take the heat off you."

Xion searched Roxas' eyes for a second longer, her look of fear slowly melting into one of hardened determination. She nodded once before leaning forward to press a swift kiss to Roxas' cheek. Hurriedly, she pushed herself away and dashed back towards the idling car.

"I won't give in!" She called out to him in reassurance, slamming the driver's side door closed a minute later and gunning the engine. Roxas watched her tear away from the kerb and swing the car around, the Commodore hurtling down the road before disappearing out of sight.

The sirens were louder now, maybe only a block away, but Roxas still sighed with relief. As long as they didn't catch Xion, everything would work out okay.

Yes, he'd most definitely be going to prison now but it was a small price to pay for finally having Axel back. From what he could see, Axel was badly injured, but hopefully he'd be strong enough to pull through. Roxas once again lowered himself to his knees beside his long lost friend's prone form and gently brushed some of his wayward spikes out of his face. "I kept my promise, Ax. I won't lose you again." The sirens were now blaring all around him, drowning out all other sound. He didn't even bother looking up at the myriad of squad cars suddenly surrounding him.

Roxas' eyes wandered over Axel's familiar features one more time, a joyous smile pulling at his lips, right before he was roughly tackled to the ground.

-0-

Roxas and Xion's story was a peculiar one. Roxas had remembered his original existence first when he'd accidentally been smashed in the head by a rogue cricket ball. He had suffered a severe concussion and woken up in hospital only feeling more confused and anxious when the nurses and doctors kept calling him Michael; when he knew without a doubt that his name was Roxas. Fortunately for him, it didn't take him long to make sense of it all and he'd immediately started his search for the people from his previous life that had meant so much to him.

Now he could feel and he so desperately wanted to experience this new beginning with Xion and Axel by his side. As he searched for them, Roxas had more than enough time to question the latent feelings and emotions he'd been harbouring all along for his fiery best friend. He'd been mildly surprised that his feelings of friendship had grown into something deeper but he surmised his new heart really had no reason to lie. He even started to wonder if maybe Axel had always felt the same for him, too.

More than a little discouraging, Roxas had also realised there was a slight possibility Xion might not even exist in this new life at all, considering she'd only been a puppet with a fabricated soul. Despite all of his worries and fears he never lost hope that one day Axel and Xion's lives would realign with his own again.

But once he realised that the people he had previously known would be reborn into this world with different names like him and possibly different appearances, he knew it wouldn't be such an easy task to find them. So when he'd randomly stumbled across Xion working in a second hand bookstore he'd literally fallen over in shock. Her name had been Sarah, but she'd looked exactly how Roxas remembered her from back when they'd simply been XIII and XIV. He'd already started styling his blond hair in the upward, spiralled spikes he was more accustomed to having and that coupled with his familiar blue eyes had Xion remembering him instantly when she first caught sight of him. They had been near inseparable ever since. It hadn't taken them long to piece together the rest of their buried memories.

They'd searched everywhere for Axel from the very beginning but after so many years of looking with no results they finally came to the conclusion that if their friend did exist here with them, he was either on another continent or had a new appearance and name. Xion hadn't wanted to get involved in the lifestyle Roxas had suggested, but once she'd seen how much money they could make and so quickly, she'd begrudgingly agreed to go along with it. It was a sure fire way to make cash faster than more socially acceptable occupations available to them and that's what they needed more than anything. They needed to utilise whatever resources they had at their disposal to find Axel quickly – before it was too late to start over again.

Roxas' notorious reputation preceded him and even without the proof that he had been involved in the high speed altercation that had nearly killed an officer of the law, the crown still had enough against him to put him away for five years. Countless drug related offences, grand theft auto, possession of an unlicensed firearm, burglary and assault – Roxas had certainly made a name for himself in the last couple of years since he and Xion had found each other and he'd always kind of known that his lifestyle choices would eventually catch up with him. He had his fair share of regrets like any other person but since it had ultimately led to them finding Axel within two years of actively searching, now when he looked back on it all – it was definitely worth it.

Ironically enough, just three days into his five year sentence, Roxas had already been worrying about his height (or rather, lack thereof), his boyish appearance and his subsequent status as fresh meat in the criminal hierarchy when he'd run into none other than Xigbar, The Freeshooter – Number II. Xigbar had actually recognised him immediately and had even more surprisingly been happy to see him. Roxas knew they hadn't exactly been friends while in the organisation together but they definitely hadn't been enemies either and it was comforting to see a familiar face all the same. Xigbar had already been inside for a number of years and literally no one had the guts to mess with him; so naturally, because Roxas was an acquaintance of his that also meant no one was game enough to mess with him either. He never thought he'd be so happy to see the scar-faced nobody again and now, miraculously, he wouldn't have to become someone's bitch just to make sure he didn't get shanked over his dinner.

Xion had successfully managed to get away with the car full of Ice, but since he'd been immediately incarcerated from the moment of his arrest, Roxas had yet to actually speak to her. She'd managed to send him a purposely vague, cryptic text message to let him know she was alright, so that was something at least. He would have to find out the finer details later but for now he was just happy knowing that she'd made the drop successfully and hadn't been apprehended. He'd only been in prison for a month and was still yet to be allowed visiting privileges. Hopefully with a little bit of good behaviour and cooperation on his part, Xion would be able to come see him soon.

With his days inside passing at a snail's pace, Roxas became all too aware of how much spare time he now had to contemplate the many misdeeds that illustrated his life. He often found himself thinking back on the crimes he had committed and all the good lives he had had a hand in ruining. He felt remorseful, but perhaps not as deeply as he genuinely should. Since he was yet to see Xion he hadn't heard anything in the slightest regarding Axel and he was near dying to know what had happened to him. Surely he was still alive and had recovered some from his injuries by now. Was he curious about the circumstances surrounding his accident? Was he angry about it – or to be more specific, was he angry at Xion and him for what they had caused? Did he actually know he was chasing down a car with his best friends from a past life inside? Had Axel been searching for them too, or were his past memories still buried? The hundreds of questions with no forthcoming answers that he turned over every day inside his head were starting to drive him mad.

"Oi, Halliday – you got a visitor," one of the wardens drawled, snapping him out of his thoughts. She opened the door to his room all the way and stood waiting, framed in the doorway. Roxas couldn't really call the room that was assigned to him a cell; it was far nicer than anything he had expected. He shared with another inmate who was blessedly quiet and clean and if it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't allowed to leave, it would have just felt like he was staying in a backpacker's hostel.

He sat up on his bed and swung his bare feet down onto the floor, shuffling along the mattress towards his prison-issue velcro shoes. He hurriedly shoved his feet into them and stood up ready to go. He had only just been awarded visitation rights two days prior, so naturally he was stoked to be seeing a familiar face. It could only really be Xion though, since his family at large no longer associated with him. That was fair enough. When he'd regained his original identity and 'woken up' he couldn't have cared less about the hollow relationships he'd made in this life before that cricket ball had smacked into his head. The only people that mattered now were Xion and Axel – they were the only ones he needed.

"Sweet," he answered the warden, already in higher spirits. "Who is it? Is it a woman?" He didn't want to say Xion's name specifically, lest he inadvertently throw her under a bus.

The warden, a middle aged, haggard looking woman who was nice enough but whose name always escaped him just smiled slyly and chaperoned him out of his room and further down the long hallway. "This isn't a conjugal visit, Halliday. You haven't been in long enough yet for that kind of privilege. You'll have an hour to talk. That's it."

Roxas wasn't fazed in the slightest. Any time with Xion would be grand. It felt like too long since he'd seen her and felt her small hand held tight within his own. He might not have been romantically attracted to her but she was still incredibly important to him.

The warden led him down a series of hallways, escorting him out towards the designated rooms where daily visitations were held. Without another word he was ushered towards a small, white-walled cubicle with a plain metal desk in the centre and two hard, plastic chairs. "I'll be in to get you when your time is up, otherwise just bang on the door if you're finished earlier."

Roxas nodded and thanked her while she swiftly opened the reinforced metal door to the small room beyond and allowed him to step inside. Initially he'd thought the room empty, the door he'd just passed through immediately snapping shut behind him as his eyes instantly fell upon the bare metal table and the two empty chairs. Not a split second later his eyes were drawn up and over to the left as he fully became aware of the other person standing in the room.

It wasn't Xion.

He'd been looking down at his shirt, picking at a piece of fluff on his sleeve when Roxas' entrance promptly captured his attention. Axel jerked his head upwards, his emerald green eyes completely unguarded and for one, brief moment they were filled with such an intense, mournful longing it took Roxas' breath away. Roxas went completely still and blinked rapidly a few times; but next when he looked he was no longer sure if he'd been imagining it or not because now Axel's face seemed carefully blank. Axel righted himself from his reclined position against the opposite wall, his movements clumsy and slow as one large hand fumbled with a single crutch that was propped up on the wall beside him. Roxas could just make out through the baggy jeans he was wearing, Axel's left leg from thigh to toes was enveloped by a rather bulky looking plaster cast; his left arm also sporting a similar cast of its own and his fingers still heavily bandaged. Roxas quickly scrutinised the rest of Axel's condition noticing the small, half-healed cuts and grazes marring his arms, neck and face.

Roxas' fingers twitched down by his sides and he unconsciously shifted a small step forwards. It would be so easy to just launch himself across the two metre space dividing them and finally pull his long lost friend into his arms, but he told himself he had to wait. There was still a high possibility that Axel was only here because he wanted to see the man who was the reason he had broken bones – not because he remembered what Roxas had once meant to him. Roxas felt wary, yet hopeful. Surely Axel remembered something; taking into consideration that the man's hair was an obviously dyed red and the tattoos under his eyes were identical to when he'd been a nobody; it couldn't just be a convenient coincidence. Roxas opened his mouth to speak but Axel beat him to it.

"Michael Halliday, my name is Ashlee Jones." Bracing himself against the crutch, Axel steadily plodded over towards Roxas and proffered his uninjured right hand. "You might not remember me, but I was the police officer involved in the motorcycle accident the day you were arrested at the scene."

Axel stood a mere three feet away now, still holding out his hand for him to shake but all Roxas could do was just stand and stare, his arms remaining slack down by his sides. He snapped his mouth shut, his jaw clenching hard. Axel had called him Michael – had said his own name was Ashlee. If he was introducing himself like that, then there was no way he remembered! Roxas' heart slowly sank into his ugly, prison-issued shoes. He didn't even try to hide his distress as the silence between them lengthened considerably; Axel's expression becoming more uncomfortable by the second, his hand still held out between them. Roxas felt utterly defeated. Axel didn't remember him – didn't remember who they used to be…but he couldn't give up now, not when he was standing right in front of him after all this time. Maybe, just maybe, Roxas could help him to remember.

Breathing in sharply, Roxas shot Axel a hesitant smile and finally moved to take his outstretched hand. He squeezed it firmly, almost sighing out loud in contented bliss. Just simply touching his friend's hand already had him feeling more confident. He'd had to work hard with Xion to awaken all of her memories and unfortunately with this sudden turn of events, Axel was shaping up to be no different. All that really mattered was that he was living and breathing right here and right now and even if Axel left here without remembering him, Roxas could still find him when he got out and try again.

"I could never forget you; not in a million lifetimes," he murmured up at Axel, a small, sad smile lifting at his cheeks. He stepped just that little bit closer, invading Axel's personal space and there was that expression on the taller man's face again; only this time it was far more intense. Roxas' heart thumped hard against his ribs. "…But no one calls me Michael anymore – please, call me Roxas."

Axel's eyes widened instantly, his hand all but crushing Roxas' fingers still caught within his grasp. He made a brief choking sound deep within his throat and then suddenly pulled sharply, dragging Roxas hard against him.

"Roxas!"

Taken by surprise, Roxas gasped and clutched at the front of Axel's shirt. "A-Axel?"

Axel's other arm with the plaster cast on clumsily wrapped around his shoulders and held him tight; Roxas swiftly repositioning his arms to encircle Axel's waist, now positively desperate to return the embrace. Axel's crutch clattered loudly to the floor at their feet.

"I couldn't just come out with it, I didn't know if you remembered me or not," Axel breathed into his hair, his cheek resting on the top of Roxas' head. Some things didn't change at least, their difference in height still remarkably the same.

Roxas said nothing; simply buried his face in Axel's chest, breathing in his scent and revelling in the faint, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Such a perfect sound – something he'd never felt such joy in listening to before now. Seven long years he'd been waiting for this exact moment – to finally hold Axel in his arms again.

"I've waited so long for this," Roxas whispered, his arms pulling Axel in closer. "I remembered when I was 16 and from then on I always looked for you. Sometimes…I'd lose hope, but Xion never wanted to give up."

Axel froze. "Xion?" He pulled away slowly, obviously reluctant to break their contact so soon. He rested his hands on Roxas' shoulders, his vivid green eyes searching his face. "You've already found her?"

Roxas nodded, his arms loosely holding Axel around the waist, their feet still touching. "I found her by chance when I was 19. Her memories were still hazy for a while, but she recognised me on sight." At mention of Xion, Roxas' expression changed dramatically. He suddenly remembered all too clearly the exact circumstances that had put Axel in his current state; his guilt returning tenfold.

"I – I'm sorry that we hurt you. If I'd have known it was you –!"

Axel shook his head sharply and cut Roxas off, "Hey, no need to freak out, okay? Yeah, I'm a little beat up but I'm right here." He flashed Roxas a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere."

Roxas' shoulders sagged in sharp relief and he smiled back winningly; the light in his eyes returning. Axel's easy forgiveness meant more to him than his friend would ever know.

Now grinning from ear to ear, Axel cocked his head at the table and chairs beside them. "Sit. I wanna show you something."

Begrudgingly, Roxas stalled for time and slid his hands around Axel's hips before releasing him altogether. He retrieved the forgotten crutch from the floor and pressed it into Axel's open palm. Once he was certain Axel wasn't going to lose his balance, Roxas swiftly fell into one of the empty chairs. He looked up at Axel eagerly, his hands clasped on the table in front of him. "If I wasn't stuck in this shithole, I'd be able to show you some stuff, too. Xion and me have been living together."

Axel rolled his eyes skyward, "I can only imagine what a mess that place must be." He moved over to the other empty chair with some measure of difficulty, the awkwardness of his broken leg slowing him down. He braced a hand against the table before shakily lowering himself into the seat across from Roxas.

"Hey, I keep it tidy enough! Xion's the one with her make-up and crap spread out everywhere." Roxas hadn't known it until now, but he'd really been missing this kind of banter. Axel had literally been in his presence for all of five minutes and it already felt like how it used to be – as if time and death had never had power over their lives.

Axel's familiar crooked smirk was all the answer Roxas needed.

Carefully laying the crutch down on the floor beside himself, Axel dug around in the right back pocket of his jeans and withdrew his mobile phone. He swiped right to unlock and quickly began searching for something; his eyes darting over the small screen.

Roxas sat quietly and tried to contain his impatience, one of his knees jiggling relentlessly underneath the table. Despite the cheery smile still curling his lips he felt his anxiety spike briefly at no longer feeling Axel's body heat melding with his own. As if sharing his thoughts and realising Roxas' inner turmoil, Axel quickly found what he was looking for on his phone and smacked it down on the table between them.

"Have a look at this." He pushed the phone over to Roxas and set it directly in front of him, immediately grabbing at one of Roxas' hands still resting on the tabletop. His smile widening, Roxas complied and laced their fingers together. The simple reassurance of Axel's touch was all it took for him to feel grounded again.

"What is it…?" He murmured, squeezing Axel's fingers affectionately. He finally focussed his attention on what had been placed in front of him. There on the lit screen of the phone was a candid photograph of Axel standing with another man Roxas didn't recognise. He leaned forward slightly and studied the picture intently. Both men had been caught halfway through a bout of raucous laughter; one of Axel's arms slung around the other's shoulders, his head thrown back carelessly. Roxas was entranced. Although it was undeniably Axel in the picture, the only thing that looked vaguely familiar about him was his startlingly green eyes. Everything else seemed different. His hair was a short, mousey brown and there were no dash tattoos under his eyes. He was also considerably younger, perhaps still in his teens; his features boyish and soft around the edges.

Roxas knocked his knee against Axel's leg, taking care not to bump his broken one and squeezed at his hand again. "Cool. I've never seen you looking so…youthful. How old are you here? Late teens?" He'd only ever known Axel looking the way that he looked now, so seeing a picture of him so much younger was a real novelty in itself.

Axel knocked Roxas' knee right back, trying his hardest to look offended and failing miserably. "Damn brat..." He leaned over the table and swiped at the phone's screen again, bringing up another photograph. "These are all of me before I remembered."

The new image was of Axel sitting alone at an outdoor setting in someone's backyard. The table in front of him was a cluttered mess of empty beer bottles and cans; Axel himself was shirtless and flipping the camera the bird, his lips trapping a lit cigarette. He was still young in this shot too, his messy brown hair throwing Roxas off completely.

"It's funny cause before it all started coming back to me I used to look at my face and think that something was really off about it but I could never figure out what." Axel sat back in his seat and shifted his legs into a more comfortable position. He stretched them straight out in front of him, one of Roxas' legs now caught in between. Roxas could feel the heat from Axel's jean clad thighs already seeping through his thin cotton pants and warming his skin. He definitely wasn't complaining about the proximity.

"There's still something off about it," he teased, pressing his thigh more firmly against the other so near to his own. Even as Axel snorted and shook his head in reply to Roxas' blatant jab, he instantly returned the touch and pressed closer too. Roxas' heart fluttered pleasantly.

"I ended up joining the police force straight out of high school and it's pretty lucky I did. If I hadn't seen your picture plastered up everywhere at the station I might have never remembered."

Roxas jolted in his seat; his wide eyes meeting Axel's incredulously, "My…my mugshot!?"

"Yeah, you delinquent," Axel grinned ruefully, playfully ruffling at Roxas' hair. "You've been in the top hundred most wanted for the past three years now. I used to stare at your face on the wall and wonder where I'd seen you before. At first I thought maybe we'd gone to school together or something, but your name just sounded wrong. I couldn't go two minutes without having another look – I even took one of your posters home."

Axel held Roxas' gaze, his green eyes sparkling, "I didn't get why, but I couldn't let it go. I knew I had to remember…and then the crazy dreams started. It took a few months after that but I finally remembered you and Xion, and being a Nobody, and Kingdom Hearts! A lot of other stuff really started to make sense, too. I practically skipped my way over to the nearest tattoo parlour to fix my face when the rest of it came back to me." He laughed, "Probably wasn't one of my brightest ideas, though; nearly got me kicked off the force."

Roxas threw back his head and laughed, his shoulders shaking with mirth. "Well, you never were known for having much personal restraint."

Axel just gave him a nonchalant shrug, "It certainly explained why I like fire so much."

"I never would've thought you'd end up being a copper in this life. How ironic is that?" Roxas mused out loud.

Axel scoffed, "Yeah, talk about making it hard for me, Rox! I wanted to find you and talk to you – to see if you remembered me too, but it wasn't exactly easy with you being a bloody fugitive."

Roxas glanced away with a sardonic smile on his face. "We…We were on a job when you were trying to pull us over. I already knew with my track record I'd be facing the music sooner or later but I really didn't want Xion doing time as well."

"I didn't even realise that was her in the car with you – I only realised it was you when I nearly drew level with your window. Why do you think I was coming after you so hard? I got my arse reamed for engaging in a high speed chase without radioing in first for authorisation."

Roxas grinned and rolled their joined hands to the side, their palms now facing upwards. He held Axel's fingers loosely and braced his other arm along the tabletop. "I did wonder about that actually – thought Robocop himself was after us."

It was Axel's turn to laugh; the sheer, joyful sound of it bouncing around the small room. "Wouldn't be the first time I've heard that!" Despite the exuberance of his outburst, Axel sobered quickly, his expression turning serious. "You're not a bad kid, Rox…Why get mixed up in all of this shit?"

"Kid? Really? What are you, like three years older than me?"

Axel shrewdly raised an eyebrow and just waited; his eyes narrowing. Roxas sighed explosively and scrubbed his free hand through his hair. It wasn't really something he wanted to get into. "I guess…I just got tired of waiting. I wanted to hire a private investigator to help find you and they're not exactly cheap." He met Axel's eyes stubbornly. "It was the quickest way I could think of and I didn't want to run out of time. I'll be damned if I was gonna let this life turn out like the last one."

"Wait, so that means…you're in here because of me…" Axel murmured, his eyes shifting away, expression pained.

Roxas snorted, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "Don't be an idiot, Ax; didn't you play the martyr enough in our last life? I've always been a bad kid; it just took them a while to catch up with me. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up here specifically but I would've gotten myself into somewhere just as bad eventually, without any of your influence."

Gripping Roxas' hand tight, Axel smiled wearily and lifted his eyes to the ceiling, as if in silent prayer. "Christ almighty, please tell me Xion's at least got her shit together this time around. You two are gonna be the death of me."

"Sorry," Roxas chortled, "I know Xion and me can be a handful." He leaned forward in his chair; his leg shifting minutely against Axels. "I'm glad you came to see me…" Blue eyes warm, he slowly disentangled their hands and trailed his fingertips along the life line on Axel's palm. "If I'd had to wait till I got out to see you again, I would've lost my mind."

"We promised, didn't we?" Axel said quietly, his fingers gently curling around Roxas' wrist. In his previous life, Roxas had managed to experience some semblance of sensation when he'd just been a Nobody, but now that he was whole – nothing compared to this. He'd never felt anything like it. The piercing green of Axel's eyes, coupled with the subtle press of his fingertips against Roxas' bare skin was intoxicating. His heart started beating just that little bit faster…

"You know…I remember how you used to make me feel – back when we had no hearts, but this…this is something else entirely." Axel's hand slowly crept up Roxas' arm, subtly pulling him in closer. Roxas shivered; the air between them suddenly charged.

"…What do you feel…?" He whispered, all resistance gone as he gave in to the emotion he had always suspected was there. Axel didn't need to answer; Roxas knew they were feeling the same thing.

Axel now drawing him forward by his elbow, Roxas leaned out of his chair and braced both hands on the table. Breaths heavy, he slid his eyes closed and without a moment's hesitation, pressed his lips to Axel's. Everything was so terribly still; except for Axel's hands lifting to gently frame Roxas' face. There was subtle movement, a flick of a tongue and then Roxas was hungrily pressing forward; Axel reciprocating in kind.

Bang, bang, bang.

They both started in surprise and jerked away from each other, the door directly behind Roxas slamming open. It was the warden. "Halliday – times up."

Roxas stood upright and turned to face her, his hand blindly searching for Axel's behind him. Shit. How could they be out of time already?

"Roxas." Axel hurriedly struggled out of his own chair and stood too, unconcerned with his crutch still lying on the floor. He slipped his hand into Roxas' anxious grasp and tugged firmly, encouraging him to turn back around. "Things are gonna be different this time around, I promise," he whispered fervently, the thumb of his right hand brushing across Roxas' cheek.

Roxas quickly stepped into Axel's arms, holding him close. He couldn't be sure how long it would be before they saw each other again. Not for the first time he felt that regretful tug at his heart for putting himself in here.

Five years was such a long time…

"When I get outta here, it will be. We can make a fresh start."

Axel lifted Roxas' chin and sealed their mouths together one last time.

A firm hand suddenly gripped Roxas' shoulder, steering him back towards the open door. Axel's fingers dragged along Roxas' forearm, one of his hands quickly pressing a small, folded piece of paper into Roxas' palm. They held each other's gaze for as long as they could before Roxas was shunted back out into the hallway, the warden unceremoniously slamming the door closed behind him. "Let's go," she threw over her shoulder, already moving ahead of him to lead him back to his room.

Once again lying on his bed, Roxas slowly unfolded the note Axel had given him. Ashlee Jones, was scrawled front and centre, with a short address following directly underneath. Roxas smiled. He realised that even if he hadn't had his memories intact, Axel had still planned on keeping in touch with him.

He'd have to send him a letter…

A police officer and a crim starting a relationship certainly wasn't your usual run-of-the-mill fairy tale, but Roxas couldn't have cared less about what anyone else thought about them.

Finally, their happy ending was only just beginning.